Australian cattle dog enters race for mayor's office in St. John's, N.L.

Australian cattle dog enters race for mayor's office in St. John's, N.L.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A celebrity candidate has entered the mayoral race in St. John's, N.L. — one with fur and four legs.

Finn, a five-year-old Australian cattle dog, is featured in a tongue-in-cheek, campaign-style YouTube video that has been making the rounds on social media.

"A lot of people are saying he's the best candidate," Glenn Redmond, Finn's owner, said during an interview Tuesday.

Redmond — a 48-year-old animal trainer and stunt performer — said Finn is an accomplished actor, having played roles in the hit movie "Maudie" and the television show "Republic of Doyle."

"Finn's a tireless worker. All cattle dogs are. He's my buddy more so than anything but he's trained for a bunch of different behaviours, so we just decided to create some roles for him," said Redmond, referring to the dog's latest role as mayoral candidate.

He conceded Finn's name won't actually be on the ballot.

But Redmond said the video, created with videographer Garry Smyth, does draw attention to local issues such as pot holes and sidewalk snow clearing.

"Potholes will be a thing of the past with Finn's hands-on leadership," a narrator says in the video as Finn's paws push loose gravel over a pothole.

Redmond said Finn, who often appears as if he's smiling with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth, will soon be featured in another video asking local residents who they are voting for in the municipal election on Sept. 26.

"Obviously we want them to vote for Finn," he said with a laugh.

Other candidates include former mayor Andy Wells, two-term incumbent Coun. Danny Breen and Renee Sharpe, a tradeswoman and self-defence instructor.

Finn isn't the first non-human mayoral candidate in the Atlantic region.

Tuxedo Stan, a black and white cat, unofficially ran for mayor of Halifax in 2012 as a way promoting animal welfare in the city.

The campaign drew media attention that was magnified after it was endorsed by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and CNN's Anderson Cooper.